The Early Transatlantic Trade of Ayr, 1640-1730
Tom Barclay & Eric J. Graham

Ayrshire Monographs No. 30
ISBN--0 9542253 3 3
104 pp, illustrated
£4.50.

In this fascinating book, which studies the early transatlantic trade of Ayr, there are numerous accounts of ships and seamen from Ayr, and their struggles in trade. It brings to the fore the central role played by the merchants and the maritime fraternity of Ayr. Likewise, the part played by endemic war and military occupation in providing the 'push-pull' dynamic to look to the Caribbean is demonstrated. Subsequent trade with North America and in the Darien scheme is also examined. In a Foreword by Professor T. M. Devine, he states that 'as a model of careful and thorough historical research, the monograph will be widely read further afield by all those interested in the early commercial and economic history of Scotland.